SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) — It all started with hemp regulations.

In December, Governor JB Pritzker pushed for a bill to pass that would have put strict regulations on the production and sale of hemp-derived THC products. However, when it came time to actually whip up votes in the house, that’s when the problems started.

“When you have a complex issue like this that balances public safety and public health, economic benefit, as well as regulatory issues, there’s going to be some friction, right?” House Democrat Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) said.

Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson sent his team to Springfield to lobby against the bill, arguing it undercut the city’s ability to profit off the products. There was also a growing sentiment from some lawmakers that these products, sometimes referred to as Delta-8 products, offered an alternative way for minority populations to make money, especially those who didn’t have the overhead to capitalize on marijuana dispensary licenses.

Johnson’s lobbyists, Pritzker’s staff and House Democrats all clashed over the topic in a caucus meeting during the lame duck session earlier this week. The caucus meeting went on for hours, and it got tense, according to members in the room.

“As you know, the process sometimes can get heated, right?” Buckner said. “So there were some passionate conversations.”

Governor Pritzker threw more fuel on the fire, demanding apologies for comments made to his staff during the meeting.

“They were berated. They were called liars. They were treated extremely poorly,” Pritzker said. “One of my staff people had to get up and leave because she felt ganged up upon.”

He went on to criticize Johnson and the lack of relationship between the two offices once it was clear that the Hemp bill would not be called for a vote during lame duck session.

“Look, the lines of communication are open, but people have to take advantage of the open communication line,” Pritzker said in Normal on Tuesday. “And often that didn’t that didn’t happen with regard to the hemp bill, didn’t call anybody in my administration.”

The state is facing a projected $3.2 billion dollar budget deficit, and Chicago is facing financial problems, too. The financial fates of the two are intertwined in several ways, with Johnson making several requests from the state to help balance the books.

Chicago Representative Kam Buckner sponsored the hemp regulation bill. He is in leadership for the House Democrats, and he’s an ally of the mayor. He downplayed the lasting effects of this political fight, but he did say the relationship between Pritzker and Johnson needs to improve.

“I ran for mayor of Chicago and much of my platform was based on creating a symbiotic relationship between city hall and this building that we’re in right now,” Buckner said. “I still believe that that is a pivotal piece of how to move Chicago forward and how to move to stay forward. One cannot go without the other.”